Freefall
by InsomniaticDreamer
Summary: Reality just isn't enough anymore. It's like they're in freefall, a high velocity rush towards Earth. The danger is half the fun. A collection of one-shots with one common theme: dreams. Pairings, if any: Arthur/Ariadne, Dom/Mal and possible Dom/OC. Enjoy
1. Free Fall

**Disclaimer: I don't own the brilliance that is Inception...**

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><p>They're in<p>

free fall.

_And they love it_

The adrenaline,

the rush, the

excitement.

_It's great, isn't it?_

They can't

stop. They all

try.

_But they're addicted_.

It's their drug.

Pulling them

in, and never

letting them go.

_And they don't effin' care._

Sometimes they

wish they could

go back, and stop

themselves from

joining.

_But deep inside, they know _

_they can't live without it._

They grip their

totems, like

lifelines.

_What else could they hold on to?_

The kick song,

reminds them of

their decision.

_Non, je ne regrette rien._

_(No, I regret not a thing)_

They have no

regrets. They're

living the dream. (No

pun intended.)

(_Okay, maybe just a little. It_

_was kinda funny, right? No?_

_Okay, moving on.)_

And none of them

would go back. Because

they're in free fall.

_And they love it._

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><p><strong>AN: What do you think? Review. I'll post the next chapter tomorrow.**


	2. Limits

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inception.**

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><p>Limits were set to<p>

keep everything

in order.

_Arthur loved order._

Limitations held

you back.

_But he hated limits._

Kept you

from going

too far.

_How far was too far?_

Stopped danger

from finding you,

hunting you

down.

_But wasn't that the best part?_

The danger brought

that rush of

adrenaline.

_Ariadne understood the concept of limits._

Knew limits

helped you play

safely.

_Just not as it applied to her._

Limits only

held you back, and

why stop when you

can go

forward?

_She could take care of herself._

Limits were for

lesser beings. The architect

was God. God knows no

limits.

_She had been playing God for too long._

Limits, rules. The

way they worked was

to help. To keep things

from getting out

of hand.

_Cobb made the limits._

Avoid projections. Don't

draw attention to

yourself. Don't create

from memory.

_Limits for the others_.

Or you'll lose

yourself, to a

dream. Forget

yourself, in your

subconsious.

_But these limits never applied to him._

The totems were

like anchors, holding

their bodies in

reality, when their

minds were stuck

in dreams.

_His top spins and spins. But he forgets what it means._

A complex web

of lies surrounded

them, grounded them.

Kept them alive, kept

them real.

_Sometimes Eames forgets who he is._

He forgot

the limits. And lost

himself. Identities

are like masks.

_He forgets what 'mask' he's wearing_

How can one be such a

good liar, that they can

trick themselves?

_Is he Eames? Or someone else? He loses track._

Minds are weak,

easily tricked. Relying

on a totem to remind

them of who they are.

_The poker chips in his pocket is there to remind him_

They've all forgotten

what life was

before their dreams.

_And not one of them gave a damn._

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><p><strong>AN: So... what do you think? Review?**


	3. Playing God

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inception...**

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><p>Ariadne had settled very easily back into college life. Settled back into the limitations of reality. She passed all her classes with flying colors. It was all so easy. So bland.<p>

_But, oh, she could remember the days_

_when she played God._

But the limitations of reality weren't nearly enough. She still had to check her totem regularly, almost hoping she was dreaming.

_She remembers what it was like to create _

_cathedrals, and entire cities, bending them _

_to fit her purpose._

She missed the pure creation of the dreamscape. That feeling of free-falling, the high velocity rush towards the ground, yet, not afraid of what waited at the bottom, because there was no death.

_Missed the chance to build an_

_entire world around her._

But more than that, she missed the team. She missed Eames. How he'd always call her (and every one else) darling. She missed Yusuf. Missed how he could be so funny, and so clueless.

_She remembers days at the warehouse, _

_laughing with the two of them._

She misses Cobb. Misses the almost brotherly bond they shared. She even missed being his therapist, of sorts. Missed hearing about little James and Phillipa.

_Phillipa was lucky to have such a doting father. _

_She herself never had that._

She missed Arthur. Missed his three-piece suits, that suited him so well. Missed him teaching her about paradoxes. Missed his smirk and his firmly gelled hair. Missed his insane attention to details.

_It was worth a shot._

She laughs. She isn't sure why, but it's suddenly hilarious. She's sure her roommate, Clara, thinks she's gone crazy. Ariadne finds she doesn't mind.

_She realizes she probably has._

This doesn't bother her as much as it probably should. Her type of architecture is almost like art. And all the best artists are a little bit mad.

She realizes she should probably look for a job. A normal one. Building houses and buildings, like what she went to college for.

_But, oh, she could remember the days_

_when she played God._


	4. Letting Go

**Disclaimer:**_ Inception is Christopher Nolan's… And last time I checked, that wasn't me_.

**Important A/N: I've decided to make this a collection. Meaning, other authors (that's YOU) can submit chapters! Just little oneshots, of course, that fit the guidelines…. (Inception, non-M rated, and pairings if any, will be Arthur/Ariadne, Dom/Mal, or Dom/O.C… Just pm me, and I'll add you in my connections so you can send it to me, enjoy!)**

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><p>He still, to this day,<p>

remembered the day

he met her.

_And it's like a movie_

_playing over and over_

_and over again in his_

_head, and he can't_

_escape._

Looking for an extractor

to work with. He went to

his mentor, Stephen Miles.

_He wishes he could_

_forget. Wishes he could_

_let go of the memory._

_Let go of her._

He walks in to his classroom,

and he's talking to a woman.

He introduces her as his daughter,

explains that she is

an extractor, seeking work

with an architect.

'_Well', he remembers saying,_

'_it's a perfect fit. I'm an architect, _

_searching for an extractor.'_

She smiles up at him.

Introducing herself

as Mallorie Miles, 'Call me

Mal.'

_And the memory hurts. It_

_stings and burns as _

_she smiles. It's been so long_

_since he's seen her. Even_

_longer since he's seen her_

_truly happy._

"Dominic Cobb.

Call me Dom." They shook

hands, neither knowing what

would happen because of it.

_They'd started an avalanche._

_Set into motion a chain_

_of events neither could_

_have predicted._

Sometimes he wonders

if, given the chance to change

things, if he would go back, and

sacrifice their love for her life.

_But he's finally moved_

_on. Finally let go. _


	5. Addiction

**Disclaimer: Yes, I realize Inception isn't mine.**

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><p>Eames sauntered out of the hotel, winking at the receptionist, who was watching him flirtatiously. Normally, he'd pursue her. She looked like a good lay. But the game had lost its appeal.<p>

_He used to play the game_

_for the rush of adrenaline,_

_for the chase._

_(the benefits weren't bad, either. )_

_But none of it could compare_

_to the dreamscape._

He fingers his totem nervously. What was wrong with him? Why did sex and alcohol lose their appeal?

_Because he had a new_

_addiction._

_A new craving._

_One that was much harder to_

_satisfy._

_(And that's what made it fun_.)

It's times like this when he wishes he knew how to contact the team. He wanted desperately to hear Ariadne's cheerful voice, see Cobb, or even Arthur, in one of his three-piece suits.

_Missed dreaming, missed_

_the thrill of being someone_

_else. Taking on their looks_

_and habits. Studying their _

_numerous idiosyncrasies._

He finds it ironic that its right now that his phone rings, showing him that his dreams (no pun intended) came true. It was Ariadne, and he felt his heart beat faster. Was she calling about work? He needed to dream. Lost in thought, he forgets to answer, and it goes to voicemail.

"_Eames. It's Ariadne._

_We have a job. Cobb arranged it,_

_but he's not participating._

_Do you know how we could _

_contact Arthur? Or Yusuf?_

_You'll never guess who we're working for!"_

Oh yes, he's addicted. He calls right back, desperate to dream.


	6. Infatuation

**A/N: Sorry it's been so long since I updated...**

**You know what I said about submitting your own chapter? Please do!**

**PM me if you're interested!**

**Hope you like this chapter, and no, I don't own Inception.**

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><p>Arthur stared<p>

at the girl in

front of him

This was their

architect? She

looked so… Young

and naïve.

She was sleeping

peacefully, PASIV

hooked into her

delicate wrist.

When she sat up,

breathing heavily,

a panicked look in

her dark brown eyes,

he knew something

had gone wrong.

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><p>"It's okay. You're okay." He murmured comfortingly<p>

"Why couldn't I wake up!" The panic in her voice was almost tangible in the air.

"There was still time on the clock. You can't wake up from within a dream unless you die."

"She'll need a totem." Cobb said, ripping the IV out of his arm.

"A totem?" She inquired. Cobb stalked off, gripping his top in his hands. Ariadne shouted after him, "That's some subconscious you got there! She's a real charmer!"

"Ah, I see you've met Mrs. Cobb."

"She's his wife?"

"Yeah. So a totem. You need a small object, potentially heavy. Something you can have on you all the time that no one else knows.

"Like a coin?"

"No. It needs to be more unique than that. This is a loaded die." He held out his red dice. She reached out to grab it, but he pulled it back, "I can't let you touch it. That would defeat the purpose. See, only I know the balance and weight of this particular loaded die. That way, when you look at your toem, you know beyond a doubt that you're not in someone else's dream."

She looked at him, then burst out, "I...I don't know if you can't see what's going on or if you just don't want to, but Cobb has some serious problems that he's trying to bury down there. And I'm not about to just open my mind to someone like that!" She stands up at leaves, him watching her in disbelief as she went.

"She'll be back. I've never seen anyone pick it up that quickly before. Reality isn't going to be enough for her now. When she comes back...When she comes back you're going to have her building mazes."

Arthur finds that half of him wants Cobb to be right, and that half of him hopes with all he has that he's wrong.

Half of him desperately wants to see her. Wants the chance to know more about this strange girl. But half of him knows it's a bad idea, because she could quite possibly be a distraction for him.

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><p>He sits at his<p>

makeshift desk

in the warehouse,

and hears someone

clearing their throat

behind him, he turns to

face her, "Cobb said

you'd be back."

"I tried not to

come, but…"

"There's nothing

quite like it."

"It's just," she

paused, trying to

find the right word

to describe it. Arthur

smiled as her face lit up

when she found the

perfect description,

"Pure creation."

And he realized,

which part of him

had won out.

He was head-over-heels

for this girl.

He was completely

infatuated.

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><p><strong>Reviews would be lovely.<strong>


	7. Poèmes D'amour

**So... I just think I should apologize for not updating sooner, but... This story isn't one of my top priorities, so, updates will be sporadic. Sorry. Read and (pretty please?) review. Enjoy.**

**Poèmes D'amour:**

**(Translation: Love Poems)**

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><p><em><strong>DomMal.**_

Sometimes I feel like I

Can't

Escape. From dreams,

from reality, from

you

and your constant

presence in my

mind. I'm so

trapped I can't

see.

Why is it so

hard to live when

I

know its real? It's not

enough for me to know,

anymore, now I have to

believe it. I

need

to believe. Why

did you leave me? Why

did you take that jump, that

leap of faith. I knew

you

wouldn't wake up. It

wasn't a dream.

But I wish it was.

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><p><em><strong><span>ArthurAriadne**_

I'm

not sure when

I realized I was

falling

for Arthur. Was

it when he comforted

me, after I watched my

first dream

tumbling

down around me? Or

was it when

we kissed?

I'm

not sure why

he kissed me. But

I know it was more

than keeping away

projections, because

it was more than that

to me. It sent

my heart

flying.

And my mind

reeling. It sent

all my feeling for

other guys

soaring

out the

metaphorical window.

I'm

not sure how it

happened, but he's

the only thing holding

me to reality when I'm

dreaming.


	8. Insanity

**Wow, I haven't done anything for this fic in AGES. Aren't you proud of me for updating (finally)?**

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><p><em>Non je ne <em>

_regrette rien_

_non je ne-_

She throws her

iPod against the

wall, silencing

the music, and

the scream that had

been about to

pass her lips.

Breath In.

Breath Out.

In. Out.

In. Out.

Angry tears

escape her eyes.

What the fuck was

wrong with her?

It was just a song!

But it wasn't.

It was so much

more. It was a

memory, buried

deep, hidden.

A memory she

tried to forget.

A half-remembered

dream.

They had left her.

No clue of what

she was to do next.

Where did she go?

What did she do?

The easiest way

was just to

forget.

But could she

ever really forget?

If every time she

heard that song,

the word dream

sent her tumbling

back, headfirst, into

recollections of a

world where she was

God.

A world where

she could build

cathedrals, entire

cities, things that never

existed, that _couldn't_

exist in the real world.

She collapses

on the floor, pounds

her fists on the floor

in frustration.

Wipes the tears

from her eyes.

Stands up,

straightens herself.

Brushes off

her momentary

fit of insanity

as if it never

even happened.

Just like every time before.

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><p><strong>Not sure what that was… But… Tell me what you think. <strong>


	9. AN

**So, I just thought I'd let you know, not that a lot of you care, but I'm done with fanfiction. For good. I might drop in to read some stories from time to time, but from now on, all my writing will be on my novel.**

**I'm keeping my stories up for your enjoyment, but they will not be updated, nor will their sequels be posted... Sorry!**

**Good bye!**


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